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Category Archives: Assemblages

Red is a Chic Partner! This is my latest block-style assemblage piece. Limiting my palette provided me with more options than I could have imagined. I played to my heart’s content with all manner of supplies until I achieved a cohesive piece that spoke to my soul. My hope is that it would also speak to the soul for whom it was created. Once again, I sent my work out into the world… this was a birthday gift for a dear friend who shares my affinity for the color red. As the wood blocks were untreated, I began with coats of gesso… white where color would be applied, black on all other surfaces.Once my color was down, I began picking out background elements. Mostly, I used rubber stamps and black Staz-on ink, but you’ll find printed papers and tissue tape were also used.Words were essential. Some came in the form of rubber stamps, some were stickers (Tim Holtz) and others were magazine cuts.Stencils weren’t something I intended to use, but when it came to the stark black of the “Embrace Imperfection” side, I went at it with white acrylic and a Tim Holtz stencil. In the end, I was happy with the contrast it provided.A little personalization… “J.” All of the edges were finished using the direct inking method and a black Staz-on pad.Vintage buttons, stacked and glued, popped from the center of the crisp doily stamp image. The heart with wings was a Masonite cut from Retro Café Art Gallery. In fact, a good many of the elements used here were purchased at Kristin Hubick’s online shop which can be found here: http://www.retrocafeart.com/ I love the selection of unique supplies Kristin offers at Retro Café Art. Check it out… I think you will, too!I topped my stack with a vintage Frozen Charlotte head. Originally, I was entertaining the use of a finial, but I found I could not part with my favorites and those I could have let go, did not seem to do the piece justice. Charlotte to the rescue! It wouldn’t be the same without her.